Patent GB-228550-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in and relating to the working of model railways
IPC: A63H19/24
Filed: 1925-01-28
Abstract: 228,550. England, F. V. Jan. 29, 1924, [Convention date]. liailways; rails and tracks. - Model electric railways, which may carry passengers, are provided with a number of insulated track conductors engaged by independent collectors on the train, so that a train and its accessories may be controlled from a remote point. Track. The conductors comprise, either stud contacts energized by magnets on the vehicles, or continuous conductors either overhead or on a level with the track, or both. The track conductors may be laid flush in grooves in the baseboard or sleepers; in the latter case, they may either bridge the sleepers or consist of separate contacts on each or some of the sleepers, connected together below the sleepers, the collector being long enough to be always in engagement with at least one contact. Locomotive. The current supplied may drive the locomotive, or may control a steam-driven locomotive, in which case the regulator is controlled by a solenoid having a stroke varying with the current strength. With steam-driven locomotives the water and spirit tanks may be filled from the track by control-station switches, while the boiler may be filled by force-pumps controlled from a track conductor or by an electric motor concealed in the boiler shell. In the latter case, the shell carries two boilers having blow-off and re-fill valves opened in turn, one boiler being in use while the other is being prepared. The boilers may be heated electrically. Vehicle equipments. In the system shown in Fig. 4, a single overhead supply conductor 48 is provided, with several separate sectioned track-conductors 11 placed between the rails. The pantograph 49 connects to a bus-bar 52 having the following control leads : motors 53, 54, series-parallel 55, couplings and tail-discs-on 56, brakes and tail-discs-off 57 and lights 58. The reverse, pantograph, whistle and indicator controls use current from the track supply lines 59, 60, contacts 61 and wires 62, 63. If the collector of wire 66 is energized, motor 65 will operate, but if wire 71 only is energized the motors 65, 70 will work in series. If wires 55 and 71 are energized, solenoid 77 will operate switch 72 and the two motors will work in parallel. The reversing switch 64 is operated by solenoid 95 from wire 63. The pantograph 49 is operated by a lever 50 which is held in either position by a magnet 94; the raising-current passes through to the reversing-solenoid 95, while the lowering- current passes through wire 93 to a solenoid 96 for operating a whistle and a solenoid 97 which actuates a switch 98 for coils 99, 100. The train indicator is actuated from a rack 101 engaged by a spring 102 so as to move only one tooth at a time. When the current is very weak, coil 100 is energized and re-winds the indicator roll. When the current is strengthened, coil 99 is energized and actuates the rack 101 so as to turn a number of names varying with the strength of the current. A coil 80, receiving current from solenoid 77, may actuate auxiliary apparatus such as operating doors and windows and exchanging mail bags. The front and rear couplings of any coach are operated by the armatures 83, 84 of coils 81, 82, while the brakes are operated by coils 87, 88. The discs or the tail lamps are also operated by armatures 85, 86 which are common to the two sets of coils 81, 87 and 82, 88. To reverse the connections of the collectors when a vehicle is turned, they are connected to a switch 103 operated by the armature of coils 41, 42 one of which receives current from collector 59 or 60. When the vehicle approaches any junction work, collectors 59, 60 are raised by inclines on the conductors to engage the auxiliary contacts shown so as to energize coil 27 which actuates switch 68 so as to complete a path for the different power circuits through the train wheels while the control collectors are disengaged; to ensure that switch 68 does not affect the action of motor 70, coil 73 is inserted to continue the circuit 71 when energized at the time switch 68 operates. Signalling and power supply. To prevent accidents, the system is divided into block sections, each having a three-position signal 106, Fig. 6, coupled to an armature 109 actuated by a fixed magnet 108, and by a weaker floating magnet 107 in series with the magnet 108 of the section ahead. The track lines 111 and motor and brake control lines 112, 113 are sub-sectioned, the brake sub-section 122 being at least a train's length from the section junction to prevent the brakes being applied while the motors are being fed from the rear. When a train 127 is in Section C as shown, current passes through lead 128 to coil 117 which throws a switch to close contacts 124 and energize section 122 ; current from 128 also passes through coil 108 of C signal, putting it to danger, and coil 107 of B signal, putting it to caution; sub-section 119 of the motor control line 112 is at the same time cut off when the train reaches section C, coil 117 of section C is de-energized and the switch restored by the spring so that B signal goes to clear and C signal to caution. At the same time, coil 116 of section D is energized and, being stronger than coil 117, holds the switch over until the train has passed on to the second sub-section. Automatic control. Each control, in addition to its hand-operated lever or button, may be actuated by contacts carried on a belt or drum. The belt may comprise a perforated strip of paper 176, Fig. 8, passing over a metal roller connected to the main; a row of spring brushes 178 rests on the paper and each brush completes its own circuit by contacting with the roller when a perforation passes under it. If there are too many contacts for a single row, they may be grouped into rows in tiers, each row having its own paper strip, and the strips may be wound together from one roll. To prevent slack accumulating, a wheel 164 of self-adjusting diameter is used. This wheel is built on a ring 169 equal in diameter to the core 165 of the spool 163, and carrying screwed spikes provided with a cogwheel 171 and a curved plate 175 forming the driving tooth for the strip. The wheels 171 engage a fixed rack 172 and so alter the effective diameter of the wheel 164. Two side contacts engage with a series of holes at each edge of each strip and energize electromagnets to move the strip or contacts laterally should the strip and contacts get out of alignment. To enable the system to be started and stopped at any part of the strip, auxiliary strips 177 are provided having series of starting and stopping perforations, the auxiliary strips being utilized on raising the contacts 178, hinged at 179, by a rod 182 actuated by coils 180, 181. Special perforations and contacts may be provided to enable this change to be made at suitable stages in the timetable, and perforations may be provided to work several station clocks in unison. Similarly, two or more complete sets of automatic equipment may be provided, to change from one timetable to another without stopping the system, series of changing perforations being used. Train-timing. To regulate the running of main-line trains, some track sections are provided with timing gear which requires three contacts 129, 130, 131, Fig. 7, engaging series of perforations 155 cut at points on the strip when a train is due, contact 130 engaging immediately before and contact 131 immediately after a train is due. If a wrong or very early train arrives at the section, train current from the trip 156 passes by wire 132, contacts 137, 139 and wire 140 to coil 141, which opens the main switch, and coil 142 which gives an indication of the section at fault. If, however, the train is only a little before its time, contact 129 will pass current to energize coil 145 which operates switches 143, 144 and coil 146 which operates the trip to " stop " position, current from the trip-operating switch 147 by coil 136, but not opening the circuit at 141. When contact 130 is energized and 129 released, switch 143 is released but switch 144 is still held by coil 148 and switch 147 by coil 150, so that coil 146 is de-energized and the trip lowered to allow the train to continue. If the train arrives a little late, contact 131 passes current through coil 152, which cuts resistance out of the power circuit, contacts 151 and resistance 162. If the train has not arrived when contact 129 is again energized, switch 143 is operated so that current from 131 will reach wire 140 and open the main switch. Two-position signals may be operated from the coil 148 and armature 157 by a wire 158. Contact 130 energizes coil 148 which releases the signal and through switch 157 energizes the coil of the distant signal, the contact at 159 being broken before coil 160 commences to act. Train current through coil 135 will then restore switch 157 and energize coil 160 so that catch 138 engages the end of switch 157 and locks it until contact 130 and coil 148 are de-energized. If the signals and trip are interlocked, coil 146 may be dispensed with. Control station. The hand controls may comprise levers, push-buttons, stops, or keys; a push-pull stop or key is shown in Fig. 9. Key 191 operates a single control having a constant current strength, such as train lights, and key 192 controls two circuits, while key 193 controls a variable-resistance circuit, such as the motor circuit. Keys 192, 193 are turned as well as pulled, and have a contact 194 engaging an arc of studs 196, a pointer 197 being provided. Each key is coupled to a lever 199 engaging a spring 200 to ensure completion of the stroke. Contact 202 throws in a resistance when the control is out of action. To make contact 202 before contact 201 is broken, they are mounted to slide along the spindle against the action of springs 203. To prepare a number of sections simultaneously, a master key is used to energize coils 205, 210 which ra